| Moms & Babies Grooving & Soothing |
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 Mt. Shasta native Darcy Novo Albrecht is a mover and a shaker. Now living in the Bay Area, this mother of two has been dancing since she could walk, and has found her love of movement to be a very useful tool in her role as a parent.
When Darcy's first child, Reed, was born in 2004, Darcy realized quickly that she was going to need to find ways to meet both of their needs. Her hands were full with her new and sometimes restless baby, and she didn't like the parenting books she was reading. "They weren't working for either of us." In an effort to get her son to sleep, Darcy found herself drawing upon her cheerleading and aerobics background - she began dancing around the house with Reed in a baby sling. She quickly discovered that this "Lullaby Exercising" had benefits for both her and her son: Reed was comforted by the dancing, and fell asleep. "We both loved it," Darcy says.  Since most babies want to be held and carried throughout the day, being held in their mother's arms or against their mother's body in a carrier meets one of an infant's most basic needs while facilitating the bonding process. And while getting to the gym to exercise was something she no longer had time for, Darcy found she was feeling better physically and emotionally when she was dancing with her son. "The next day, I was a little bit sore, and I felt good. I was getting in shape. So, he became my own little personal trainer," she says.
Initially, Darcy's "Lullaby Exercises" were something just for her and her son. "I kept it a secret with my first child, and when it worked again with my second son, I decided to share it with my friends and their friends." The feedback from other mothers told Darcy that the idea was a hit. "Babies stop crying - they always stop crying. And I'm not good with a lot of crying, so that's a huge benefit for me!" Darcy laughs. "Plus, you lose your baby weight and get fit...that part just happens, which is great because it's a bonus. I don't like thinking about trying to lose the baby weight. I just like to find creative ways to feel good during the day."  In 2007, when Darcy's second son Nolan was just a few months old, she hatched an idea and a company. Darcy decided to make a DVD to share "Lullaby Exercises" with other mothers. She enlisted some girlfriends to be in the movie with her and "just charged forward." Darcy's DVD has found it's way into numerous stores, and has earned attention in print, on television and online. Darcy now leads "Lullaby Exercise" classes at two locations in the San Francisco Bay Area each week. "We have a great time and we really sweat. All the moms are glowing when we're done. It's super fun, and seriously, no babies cry. Can you image being in a room with 25 babies and NOT ONE is crying?" Look for Darcy as a featured presenter at Chico's upcoming Green Baby Expo (www.GreenBabyExpo.com) where she'll be leading a "Mama Groove" workshop and will explain the benefits of "grooving." The Expo takes place June 20th at CSU, Chico's Bell Memorial Union at 2nd & Chestnut Streets.
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September 2010
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